


Positive Reinforcement

by Tabithian



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-02
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-25 08:44:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/951072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabithian/pseuds/Tabithian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not the first time Jason's thought of doing something like this, but it's the first time he's actually gone through with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Positive Reinforcement

**Author's Note:**

> After I saw [this post](http://thewindsofsong.tumblr.com/post/60004153667) on Tumblr I started thinking, and it somehow came to this. (I'm really, really sorry.)

Jason doesn't know what makes him do it – no, fuck that, he _does_. It's when Tim gets the shit beaten out of him just so he can maintain some kind of goddamn moral high ground Bruce would approve of.

It's not the first time Jason's thought of doing something like this, but it's the first time he's actually gone through with it. He knows it's a shitty joke, worst one ever, but what the hell. They're all a little fucked up.

“Jesus Christ, Replacement,” he says when he sees Tim a few days later. The kid looks like absolute shit, and he's moving like an old man. “I bet that really taught them, right?”

Tim just looks at him, like he wasn't expecting Jason to check up on him, and. He wasn't really, just. 

“I was in the neighborhood,” Jason says, and the fact that that isn't the shittiest lie he's told in recent memory is no comfort. “Also, here. I got you something.”

Jason rolls his eyes at the skeptical look Tim gives him when he shoves the envelope at him, not that he was expecting any other reaction from the little shit. 

“If I wanted to kill you I'd have done it by now,” he says, which Tim and the others have to know by this point. 

Tim gives him another one of his looks, like maybe he does know but he's also not a complete idiot, and carefully opens the envelope. The expression on his face goes from puzzled to exasperated annoyance in pretty much no time flat.

“Jason - “ 

“What? Hey, no, that was a fucking brilliant plan of yours, Replacement. A+ strategy there, I'm sure it'll go down in the history books somewhere.”

Tim sighs and shakes his head. “You're an asshole,” he says, but there's a thread of amusement under it all like maybe that's not the worst thing in the world to be in their world.

“Shut up,” Jason says, because really, there could be.

********

The demon brat's a whole world of disturbing most of the time, but every once in a while he's not completely terrible. Or maybe it's more that Jason's a horrible person because it's probably not healthy to look forward to beating the hell out of people like this.

Whatever, it's not like he's the only one this time.

“Heh, maybe you aren't a total loss,” Jason says, and reaches over to slap the sticker on the little bastard's chest next to the 'R'.

Demon brat's on some kind of delay. Maybe it was the fact that Jason just touched him of his own volition when neither of them was in a life-threatening situation, but he doesn't say anything at first, just stares at the stick incredulously.

Dick glances over, mouth quirking when he reads what it says, and Tim just sighs, like it's a trial dealing with him.

“Really, Jason?”

“Shut it, Replacement,” Jason says, feeling pretty good about things at the moment.

He can feel demon brat staring at him, hands clenched into fists at his side, quietly seething.

“Todd, what is the meaning of this?”

Jason smirks, slow and lazy. “It makes my heart glad to know today's youth feels passionately about something.”

Dick laughs and Tim mutters something about not knowing any of them and the grimy group of thugs facing them look equal parts confused and angry and about to get their asses kicked.

Jason glances at the demon brat, lets his smirk go sharp and focused because this has been a long time coming.

“How about we go break some faces, brat?”

********

“I should have done this a long time ago, you know?” Jason says.

Dick looks over at him, a little wary, a little confused. “What?”

“You're an idiot,” Jason says, because that's always been true.

Dick's always been an idiot, worse than any of them when it comes down to it.

“Here,” he says, and tosses the sheet of stickers he'd had printed up at him. He's going to have make more if Dick keeps up like this. “Think of it like backpay.” 

Or something.

Dick squints at the stickers, annoyance flickering over his face before settling into something like weary amusement. “Hilarious, Jay.”

Not really, but what the hell. It's not like Jason's the authority on healthy behavior.

“Replacement mentioned something about movie night?”

Not his best segue, but again, what the hell. Replacement asks him to do this, he better realize Jason's kind of shit at these things.

Dick makes a surprised nose, lifting his head to look at him.

And who knows, maybe Jason's getting softer, letting letting these assholes get to him. It's not like he can avoid them when they make it their business to keep popping up in his life, sticking their stupid noses in where they don't belong out of some misguided sense of familial responsibility. Who the fuck even knows.

“Shut up, Dickie. It's not like I want to be here.”

Dick nods, makes a soothing nose because he's an asshole. “Of course not, Jason.”

Jason sighs because his goddamn life. “I hate you.”

“I know, I know,” Dick says, still in that annoyingly soothing voice. “I'm okay with that.”

Jason wonders if Dick would be as okay with Jason's fist in his face, but now is probably not the time.

Probably.

********

Jason knows the people in his life, how rare it is for them to open up about things. Like emotions, feelings. Which is fine, and vastly preferable because Jason is the same damn way.

“Angry feelings don't count,” he says, just to see that little twitch Bruce gets.

“Jason - “

And maybe he's getting a little too comfortable at the Manor to do this. Print out this last sticker on metallic gold paper and put it in a tasteful frame Alfred had helped him pick out.

“It's something to shoot for,” Jason says, because once an asshole, always an asshole. “A life goal, if you like.”

Bruce sighs, long and weary. Almost the way Tim does when Jason's deliberately making his life more difficult than it needs to be. (He is, of course, but that doesn't mean he has to let Bruce know for sure, now does it?)

“I'm sure you'll earn it one day, Bruce,” Jason says, gratingly earnest. “Then you can add it to the others.”

And oh, yes, Jason has been leaving stickers for Bruce too. 

Fucker's earned them with that plan that involved him playing dead and not letting the rest of the class know. Then there was the time he was a little too involved in rooting out a new drug dealer moving into Gotham. Also, and Jason's personal favorite, that time he passed out awkward shoulder pats all around even though he wasn't in the best shape himself.

“Jason.”

“Bruce.”

Another sigh, Bruce switching his attention to the framed sticker placed in the center of the table like some kind of prize to be won.

“Angry feelings?” Bruce asks, bemused.

Jason shrugs. “Dick's rules.”

Bruce gives him a look, like he's wondering when Jason decided to listen to Dick, at least in this regard, but.

“He said since we all have angry feelings it would be cheating.” 

Bruce stares at him for a long moment, but doesn't actually deny it. 

Looking at him, at the others these past few months, Jason has a feeling it won't be long before one of them does something to deserve that damn sticker.


End file.
